The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-04-23
AN AWFUL FIGHT.
A Combat Between a Tiger and a
Lion.

hlOu,
After an encampment Of two weeks
nj BangalOre, we moved to the north
west for thirty miles, and made new
camp on a creek which emptied into
the Cauycry river, twenty miles below
us. There had been no shooting done
in this neighborhood for many years,
for the reason that fever plague had
carried off hundreds of the natives and
dcpopulated many of the villages.
Game had had an opportunity to in
crease, and we had reason to look for
ward to some exciting sport. A native
hunter, living near Seringapatam, and
who was with us in charge of the serv-
ants, had been told by good authority
that lions and tigers had come into the
abandoned district until they were as
plentiful as hares, and that we should
find hunters paradise.
We pitched our camp on a cleared
spot on the right bank of the creek,
which had two feet of water in it and
was about ten feet wide. 1t was a
hilly country all about us. with the
ground fairly well timbered. Half a
mile below us was an abandoned native
village, and many acres of ground
which had once been titled were now
grown up to bush and weeds. We went
into camp about an hour before sun
down of a summers day, and the tents
had not yet been pitched when one of
the natives routed out and killed a
poisonous snake ten feet long, and an
other declared that he saw panther
moving in the thicket across the creek.
We cut down the smaller trees and
bushes and built a strong Enclosure for
the riding horses and pack animals, and
then ran a breastwork of brush clear
around camp. A lion or tiger could clear
it at bound, but neither beast ever
enters an Enclosure off hand He mus
be pressed by hunger, or desperate
with rage 1t had just come to be twi
light, and we were still working at thu
north side of the Enclosure, when thu
fact that we had big game at hand wa
proved in a sorTowful way. A NATIVE
young man about seventeen years o
age, who was one of the brush cutters
was engaged with others about 300 fee
from where we were at work. 1t wa
the last load to be brought, and he wa
last of all. He was picking up his LOAF
when a tiger sprang upon him from tn
bushes. Every one of us heard tn
snarl of the beast and the cry of tn
man, and, indeed, there was the Who'll
scene right before our eyes. The vic
tim. as he was hurled to the earth, fel
upon his face. The tiger seemed t
turn him over three or four times, an,
then seized him by the shoulder an
started off with him-not into til
thicket right at hand, but across 20
feet of perfectly open ground towar
the creek.
For few seconds all of us SCENE
turned to stone. Then there was
rush for the rifles, which were fortu
natelv near at hand. There were tire
or four old soldiers and tiger hunter
with us, and their presence of min
brought about the death of the bcas
Some of us would have hesitated
fire, KNOWN that our bullets woul
be as apt to hit the servant as the tiger
but two or three men shouted for ever
body to blaze away, and five or six +,
ports followed one another in quic
succession. These men reasoned tn,
the native was already MORALLY hur
and that it would be better for him
die at once by one of our bullets tina
to be carried off and eaten alive.
have personally known of four or fiv
eases where men have been seized /
tigers, and have talked with hunter
who knew of many other cases, an
there was only single instance whel
tho victim escaped the fatality of Il
spring. When the tiger leaps he ais
strikes with his forepaw, and the bio
is terrific.
= The beast and his burden WEI
about half way across the opC
when they fell in heap; the tig,
was mp again in second, whirlC
around like a top, and then, with
fierce growl, he seized the native aga
with his teeth and resumed his progress
We were advancing as we fired, but Il
tircr did not increase his pace by